Calendar 2005–06

Faculty and Departmental Research/Consultancy Units 129 The centre provides cluster-based high performance computational facilities for the atomistic simulation of molecular structure and reactivity, new materials, and biomolecules and so on. It promotes inter-disciplinary collaboration among scientists in chemistry, physics, and biology to develop new methods and applications for molecular modelling. Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies Tel.: 3163 4178 Fax.: 3163 4179 E-mail: cslds@arts.cuhk.edu.hk The Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies was established in 2003 to develop interdisciplinary research and training programmes in sign linguistics, deaf culture and deaf education; to raise public awareness of the well-being of the deaf; to improve communication between the deaf and the hearing; and to provide the deaf with equal educational and social opportunities. Ongoing projects include ‘The Acquisition of Hong Kong Sign Language by Deaf Children’, ‘Promotion of Deaf Communication through Hong Kong Sign Language’, and ‘Practical Dictionaries of Asian Pacific Sign Languages’. Centre for Studies of Humanistic Buddhism Tel.: 2609 6707 Fax.: 3163 4132 E-mail: cshb@cuhk.edu.hk Website: http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/crs/cshb In April 2005, the Chinese University and the Foguang Shan Foundation for Buddhist Culture and Education agreed to establish the Centre for Studies of Humanistic Buddhism in the Department of Cultural and Religious Studies of the University. Major activities of the centre include: • Promoting academics studies of Buddhism: The foci of research include Buddhism and Chinese society, Buddhism and contemporary ethical and cultural issues, and comparative studies and dialogues between Buddhism and other religions. • Training of Buddhist scholars: provide scholarships to MPhil/PhD students specializing in the studies of Chinese Buddhism/Humanistic Buddhism. • Enhancing international academic exchange among Buddhist scholars: Organizing conferences and workshops on Buddhism, and publishing academic works on Buddhist studies. • Promulgating Buddhist culture: Coordinating a variety of cultural activities to assist in the promulgation of Buddhist culture Centre for the Study of Foetal Nucleic Acids in Maternal Plasma Tel.: 2632 2963 Fax.: 2636 5090 E-mail: loym@cuhk.edu.hk